Minority Language Research Articles

Multilingualism and English: how does L1 affect language attitudes at a trilingual university?

ABSTRACT This study investigates attitudes towards multilingualism and the role of English at the trilingual Free University of Bozen-Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy. South Tyrol is unusual in that the local minority language, German, holds significant international prestige. This study thus contributes to the literature by filling a gap in studies examining multilingual contexts where the minority language is an important international language beyond the local setting. The research investigates results of a questionnaire yielding 1538 responses administered to students, academic staff and administrative staff, considering in particular how respondents’ L1 influences their responses. The analysis reveals widespread support for English and multilingualism at unibz, consistent with the institution’s longstanding multilingual policy. However, significant differences in support for English are observed across language groups, particularly among speakers of local minority languages, who exhibit comparatively lower levels of support, highlighting a nuanced relationship between language identity and perceptions of language policy. The exception was for responses to questionnaire items addressing multilingualism holistically, which did not vary in a statistically significant way according to the first language. This study contributes to the understanding of language attitudes in multilingual contexts, considering both attitudes to an individual language and to multilingual policies as a whole.

The Minority Language as a Second Language: Challenges and Achievements: Jasone Cenoz and Durk Gorter

The Minority Language as a Second Language: Challenges and Achievements: Jasone Cenoz and Durk Gorter

Minority language use in teaching: ethnic minority teachers’ perspectives in Southwest China

ABSTRACT While previous research has emphasised the crucial role of multilingualism in supporting language minority students’ schooling experiences, little is known about the perspectives of teachers from minoritised backgrounds regarding their encounters with and responses to linguistic diversity in education. This article employs in-depth interviews to investigate ethnic minority teachers’ perceptions regarding minority language use in their multicultural and multilingual educational settings in southwest China. Thematic analysis was applied to identify the main themes across the narratives from 12 ethnic minority teacher participants. The findings show that teachers believed ethnic minority language use contributes to teaching ethnic minority students and interacting with ethnic minority parents. However, teachers held a deficit thinking of minority languages when it came to improving students’ Chinese proficiency and school success. Moreover, teachers believed their ethnic minority status does not necessarily play a role in teaching. Instead, sharing the same languages with ethnic minority students could benefit teaching, which is different from the prior studies concluding that sharing the same ethnic background as the students contributes to the reduction of ethnic disparities in education.

Short versions of the Basque MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (children aged 8–50 months)

This study provides a brief review of the adaptation of the short MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) instruments into Basque. The study aims to provide the scientific community with several standardized instruments designed to measure the vocabulary size of young children (aged 8–50 months) who are learning Basque, a language spoken in Spain and France. Data from over 2,400 children, obtained using the Basque adaptations of the short CDI parental questionnaires, the BCDI-1s(hort), BCDI-2s, and BCDI-3, revealed the capacity of these instruments to identify the effect of age on the language development of preschool-age children exposed to this language, as has been attested in other (minority and non-minority) languages. The study also examined the effect size of age, sex, and language input. The results showed that sex had a null or very small effect on both lexical development and the rest of the scales, whereas the effect of language input increased as children grew older and was even stronger than the effect of age from 30 months onwards. These findings provide solid ground for discussing the relevance of various factors that affect young children's language acquisition.

Spatial Accessibility and Uptake of Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccinations by Social Vulnerability.

Geographic accessibility predicts pediatric preventive care utilization, including vaccine uptake. However, spatial inequities in the pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rollout remain underexplored. We assessed the spatial accessibility of vaccination sites and analyzed predictors of vaccine uptake. In this cross-sectional study of pediatric COVID-19 vaccinations from the US Vaccine Tracking System as of July 29, 2022, we described spatial accessibility by geocoding vaccination sites, measuring travel times from each Census tract population center to the nearest site, and weighting tracts by their population demographics to obtain nationally representative estimates. We used quasi-Poisson regressions to calculate incidence rate ratios, comparing vaccine uptake between counties with highest and lowest quartile Social Vulnerability Index scores: socioeconomic status (SES), household composition and disability (HCD), minority status and language (MSL), and housing type and transportation. We analyzed 15 233 956 doses administered across 27 526 sites. Rural, uninsured, white, and Native American populations experienced longer travel times to the nearest site than urban, insured, Hispanic, Black, and Asian American populations. Overall Social Vulnerability Index, SES, and HCD were associated with decreased vaccine uptake among children aged 6 months to 4 years (overall: incidence rate ratio 0.70 [95% confidence interval 0.60-0.81]; SES: 0.66 [0.58-0.75]; HCD: 0.38 [0.33-0.44]) and 5 years to 11 years (overall: 0.85 [0.77-0.95]; SES: 0.71 [0.65-0.78]; HCD: 0.67 [0.61-0.74]), whereas social vulnerability by MSL was associated with increased uptake (6 months-4 years: 5.16 [3.59-7.42]; 5 years-11 years: 1.73 [1.44-2.08]). Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine uptake and accessibility differed by race, rurality, and social vulnerability. National supply data, spatial accessibility measurement, and place-based vulnerability indices can be applied throughout public health resource allocation, surveillance, and research.

Minority language interpreting in regional parliaments: Breton, Corsican, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh compared

ABSTRACT Following a discussion of the term ‘minority language’, this paper goes on to explain the important role interpreting can play for language planning and status raising, especially in high-prestige formal settings such as regional parliaments. There then follows a brief overview of each language before presenting the interpreting provision available for Breton, Corsican, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh in their respective assemblies. The comparative study yields a very disparate picture, with highly conflicting experiences even within the same overarching state-level legal framework. The discussion section attempts to propose explanations for the differences detected whilst indicating new routes of enquiry for future research.

Importance of key stakeholder communication in the implementation of an in-hospital digital medical translation application for heart surgery patients: a qualitative study

Abstract Background/Introduction The scientific and clinical communities are inundated with health applications designed for testing and/or implementation to support and enhance clinical practice. However, there is a deficiency in studies concentrating on vital factors such as stakeholder involvement to ensure the successful implementation of such applications. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of key stakeholders involved in the process leading to the implementation of a digital medical translation tool designed for in-hospital use with heart surgery patients who speak minority languages. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide through digital (i.e., Zoom) interviews in June 2023. The data collected was analyzed using NVivo software, following Braun and Clarke´s six-step thematic analysis process. Results Five stakeholders participated in the interviews, including representatives from the Regional Health Authorities Information Technology partner and the project leader, and representatives from the company responsible for the digital medical translation tool. All with major stakes in such an in-hospital application implementation process. Four main themes with corresponding quotations emerged from the analysis, pointing to the need for: i) Qualified stakeholders: Stakeholders who possessed the knowledge of "what to do and when" played a crucial role in the process. ii) Communication between stakeholders: Effective communication between stakeholders was deemed essential for optimizing the process at the required pace, with an emphasis on collaborative efforts by "working as partners to enhance services for minority-speaking patients". iii) Requirement specification for procurement: The importance of "detailed and clear quality requirements in the procurement process to select the best clinical translation tool", was highlighted. iv) Clinical practice foundation: "Expert nurses from the hospital setting and medical doctor from the company adjusted the translation tool" was pointed to as necessary to suit clinical practice needs. Conclusions Key stakeholders involved in the implementation of a medical translation tool for minority-speaking patients within a hospital setting pointed to four vital aspects for successfully implementing a digital medical translation tool in-hospital care. Effective communication among stakeholders was seen to inspire and improve the working process. Having qualified stakeholders was vital for ensuring quality requirements and establishing a solid clinical foundation during the application implementation.

CONTINUITY IN THE DISCOURSE ON THE PROMOTION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FROM THE 19TH CENTURY UNTIL NOW

The article compares the documents defi ning the priorities of the UK language policy in relation to the English language. The study is relevant for understanding the prerequisites and principles of language planning. The object of the study is the offi cial discourse that substantiates the spread and promotion of the English language. Research methods include conceptual-textual analysis, retrospective-diachronic and comparative methods. The key document that recorded the essence of the language policy of the British Empire was the “Minute on education in India”, prepared by Thomas Babington Macaulay in 1835. Macaulay carried out political technological manage-ment of the process of spreading the English language, which was called upon to enlighten the Asians. In 2010, the report “English Next India” by David Graddol was published, which made the case for maintaining the position of the English language training industry. A comparative analysis shows signifi cant strategic continuity between these documents, which is also confi rmed in the actions of the British Council as a conductor of British language policy abroad. Both works make the case for the importance of English in the Indian educational system. Macaulay argues that English should become the main language of education in India as it provides access to information and educa-tion and facilitates economic linkages. Graddol, in turn, emphasizes that introducing English into every classroom and every home in India will signifi cantly improve the country’s prospects in all areas. In 2008, Gordon Brown, then Prime Minister of Great Britain, expressed his commitment to spreading the English language around the world, which he believed could boost the UK economy by billions of pounds. As part of this strategy, the British Council launched a program to recruit “master trainers” to improve the skills of 750,000 English teachers. However, despite British commercial interest in the Indian and other English language markets, there are concerns about the mono-lingual paradigm promoted by proponents of English-medium education. This paradigm may lead to restrictions on the use of national and minority languages and potentially have a negative impact on multilingual education

SAGA: results of a second trial testing a mentalizing-based reading intervention on children and staff in early childhood education

Social–emotional development is a key factor in child well-being and development, and studying how it can be supported in early childhood is crucial. This study acted as a second trial testing the efficacy of a shared story book reading intervention combined with mentalizing discussions (SAGA), on children’s (N = 196) social–emotional development. In contrast to the first trial, the current trial utilized a group comprised of mostly multilingual children, attending daycare in a minority language. In addition, we investigated the effect of the intervention on the mentalizing capacity of the staff. The staff of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers were trained to lead discussions about story characters’ mental states with children three times a week. The staff’s mentalization ability was measured by the self-reported Mentalization Scale (MentS). Children’s social–emotional development was evaluated via the teacher-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire SDQ, and verbal fluency via a subtest from the NEPSY II neuropsychological test battery. After 12 weeks, the children in the SAGA group showed improvement in prosocial behavior, whereas no change was observed in the control group. Furthermore, within the SAGA group, the children showing initially lower scores for prosocial behavior displayed larger improvement compared to their peers with higher scores at baseline. No such intervention-based improvement emerged in verbal fluency. Unlike in the first trial, the intervention did not have an impact on children’s internalizing or externalizing problems. The results suggest that story reading sessions combined with mentalizing discussions about emotions, thoughts, and intentions of the story characters may support children’s social–emotional development within the realm of prosocial behavior, although the possibility to decrease children’s internalizing and externalizing problems with these sessions remains unclear based on the two trials. In addition, training the ECEC staff in mentalization theory and guiding them toward mind-related dialogs improved staff motivation to mentalize, as well as their child-related mentalization capacity.

Association of social vulnerability and rehospitalization in pediatric motor vehicle trauma patients

IntroductionWe investigated social vulnerability index (SVI) as a tool to identify children at risk for readmission following motor vehicle collisions (MVC). Materials and MethodsAn exploratory retrospective cohort study was conducted of pediatric trauma activations (age 0–15) for MVCs 1/1/2012 to 6/30/2022 at a level 1 trauma center. Eligibility included residence within our center's catchment area. Excluded were mortalities during the index admission. Patient address was geocoded and linked with state-level census tract SVI. Per the CDC, SVI ≥90th percentile defined high vulnerability. We evaluated SVI theme: socioeconomic status (SES), household composition and disability (HCD), minority status and language (MSL), housing and transportation (HT). Outcomes included emergency department (ED) visits and re-hospitalization within 90 days of discharge. Kaplan-Meier plots, relative risk (aRR), and 95 % confidence intervals (95 %CI) adjusted for injury severity score (ISS) were estimated using log-binomial regression. ResultsOf 429 eligible subjects, 122 (28 %) resided in high SVI communities. High SVI patients had slightly higher mean ISS (8.6 vs 7.5). There was a similar risk of ED re-presentation across SVI groups (aRR=1.18; 95 %CI 0.61–2.29). However, although estimates were unstable, there was a possibility of increased risk of re-hospitalization among the high SVI group (aRR=2.34; 95 %CI 0.68–8.04). By theme, HT had the strongest association (aRR=1.71) for ED representation, whereas SES and HCD had the strongest associations for rehospitalization (aRR=2.03, 2.66, respectively). ConclusionWe observed possible associations between high SVI and higher rates of re-hospitalization. Future research with a larger sample may clarify associations. Level of EvidenceLevel IV; Prognosis Study.

“Heroes”, “victims”, and “villains”: policy narratives on inclusion in Norwegian and Italian educational documents

ABSTRACT This paper will investigate how specific narratives on the inclusion of minority language students (MLSs) are constructed in Norwegian and Italian educational policy documents. We will employ the Narrative Policy Framework’s (NPF) analytical categories with an interpretative narrative approach to reconstruct the two national policy narratives and compare their salient features. In response to international trends of inclusive education, Norway and Italy have developed two different educational policy models for the inclusion of MLSs. Norway operationalised inclusion through ‘adapted education’ for all students, while Italian policy defined an ‘Italian path towards the intercultural school’. The results will show that the Norwegian approach to inclusive education is sustained by what we define as a technocratic (efficiency-oriented) narrative, while the Italian intercultural education employs a normative (ideologically-based) narrative. Despite the differences, the two policy narratives share an unresolved tension between a universalistic and particularistic stance. In the policy documents, the inclusive/intercultural education for all students is ambiguously complemented by integration measures designed explicitly for MLSs. The study will illustrate the travelling nature of inclusive and intercultural education in the policy domain and show that the policy shift towards inclusion needs to be understood as an ongoing and non-linear process.

Changing language hierarchies and ideologies in New Zealand dual language picturebooks: 1973-2020

Aotearoa New Zealand is a multilingual country with three official languages, Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, and English. The presence of Māori and English in picturebooks published in New Zealand between 1973 and 2020 offers a method of exploring and documenting the changing language hierarchies and ideologies across a 47-year period. This is of particular importance because of the contribution of children’s literature to developing language attitudes in child and adult readers. In this article, a sociolinguistic lens called Linguistic Landscape is used to analyse a sample of seven picturebooks, showing how picturebooks reflect language beliefs and attitudes to official yet minority languages in an English-dominant society. The picturebooks are analysed in terms of the relative space and dominance afforded each language. Links to language status in law and education are examined exploring the potential of picturebooks as a source for the study of changing language hierarchies and ideologies.

Language barriers and healthcare access: a qualitative study in the Volta Region of Ghana

ABSTRACT Background The study explores the language barriers between two language minority populations and healthcare professionals in the Volta Region of Ghana. Methods An interpretive description with a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis was used. This study was carried out in the Tafi-Atome and Avatime-Vane communities, the Hohoe Municipal Hospital and the Margaret Marquart Catholic Hospital in the Kpando Municipality. In all, 46 respondents comprising 19 purposively sampled community members (patients) from the two selected communities and 27 conveniently sampled healthcare professionals from the two health facilities were interviewed. The face-to-face in-depth interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Results The study revealed a barrier in language use between healthcare professionals and patients from the two language minority communities. While healthcare professionals preferred to use English, Akan and Ewe, the patients, on the other hand, preferred their native languages, which are Sideme and Tegbor. The services of unqualified interpreters were utilised by both healthcare professionals and patients. Study participants were aware of these challenges, which prevented the patients from receiving optimum healthcare services, and the healthcare workers from delivering client-centred healthcare services. Conclusions The presence of communication challenges emanating from language barriers between healthcare professionals and patients should be considered as a key hindrance to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal Three (SDG3), which aims to promote health and well-being at all ages. Therefore, stakeholders in the healthcare delivery system in Ghana need to prioritize stronger communication and translation practices and policies.

Conceptualizing Linguistic and Cultural Identity among Breton and Arabic Users in Brittany

The linguistic diversity of France is a highly discussed topic, particularly in relation to the French state's (lack of) support for regional and minority languages (RMLs). There are approximately 200,000 speakers of the regional language Breton, while Arabic is the second-most widely spoken language in France with an estimated 3–4 million speakers. Recent studies have called for comparative analyses and this research seeks to fill this gap, focusing on individual speakers and their social experiences as they relate to language(s), diversity, and identity. This paper discusses findings of fieldwork conducted in Brittany with Breton and Arabic language users, examining how Breton and Arabic language users describe their language experiences, and how identity can be shaped by language practices. This research also explores how such language practices relate to diversity and multilingualism across France more broadly, and how individuals understand the multifaceted nature of identity using terms such as ‘double culture’ and ‘mélange’.

Research on the Training and Application Methods of a Lightweight Agricultural Domain-Specific Large Language Model Supporting Mandarin Chinese and Uyghur

In the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP), the lack of support for minority languages, especially Uyghur, the scarcity of Uyghur language corpora in the agricultural domain, and the lightweight nature of large language models remain prominent issues. This study proposes a method for constructing a bilingual (Uyghur and Chinese) lightweight specialized large language model for the agricultural domain. By utilizing a mixed training approach of Uyghur and Chinese, we extracted Chinese corpus text from agricultural-themed books in PDF format using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, converted the Chinese text corpus into a Uyghur corpus using a rapid translation API, and constructed a bilingual mixed vocabulary. We applied the parameterized Transformer model algorithm to train the model for the agricultural domain in both Chinese and Uyghur. Furthermore, we introduced a context detection and fail-safe mechanism for the generated text. The constructed model possesses the ability to support bilingual reasoning in Uyghur and Chinese in the agricultural domain, with higher accuracy and a smaller size that requires less hardware. It (our work) addresses issues such as the scarcity of Uyghur corpora in the agricultural domain, mixed word segmentation and word vector modeling in Uyghur for widespread agricultural languages, model lightweighting and deployment, and the fragmentation of non-relevant texts during knowledge extraction from small-scale corpora. The lightweight design of the model reduces hardware requirements, facilitating deployment in resource-constrained environments. This advancement promotes agricultural intelligence, aids in the development of specific applications and minority languages (such as agriculture and Uyghur), and contributes to rural revitalization.

Two Indonesian Mothers’ Journey in Nurturing Children’s Bilingual Development: From Practices to Aspects of Reflection

<p>This study presents the reflections of two Indonesian mothers working as EFL teachers on their experiences of fostering their children's bilingual development. It employed a narrative inquiry approach, gathering the participants' stories through oral and multimodal narratives. The mothers shared their stories during a semi-structured interview and through photos and videos. The findings reveal that the participating mothers introduced English to their children early by engaging them in natural English interactions and activities such as story reading before bed, hands-on activities, role-playing, games, and daily communication. Despite many similarities in activities, the consistency and continuity of providing exposure to English and Indonesian languages are different. The first mother implemented One Parent One Language Strategy (OPOL) with her child, using English with mother and Indonesian with father. On its journey, she shifted the strategy to Minority Language at Home strategy (MLaH) due to her husband’s passing with her child communicated English at home and learned Indonesian from school, relatives, and communities. Meanwhile, the second mother used English and Indonesian (mixing language strategy) to communicate with her daughter, using English as the dominant language. When her daughter started mixing the structure of the languages and experienced language confusion, the second mother minimized English use at home and shifted to using Indonesian as the dominant language at home. The findings also indicate that in nurturing children’s bilingualism, the mothers’ choices of practices involved five aspects of reflection: their philosophy, belief, theory, practice, and sociocultural aspect beyond practice. This study highlights that the process of nurturing children’s bilingual development is not a linear process. It involves a more complex relation of various factors that influence parents’ decision in (dis)continuing certain language policies.</p>

Social Vulnerability and Biological Aging in New York City: An Electronic Health Records-Based Study.

Chronological age is not an accurate predictor of morbidity and mortality risk, as individuals' aging processes are diverse. Phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel) is a validated biological age measure incorporating chronological age and biomarkers from blood samples commonly used in clinical practice that can better reflect aging-related morbidity and mortality risk. The heterogeneity of age-related decline is not random, as environmental exposures can promote or impede healthy aging. Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is a composite index accounting for different facets of the social, economic, and demographic environment grouped into four themes: socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing and transportation. We aim to assess the concurrent and combined associations of the four SVI themes on PhenoAgeAccel and the differential effects on disadvantaged groups. We use electronic health records data from 31,913 patients from the Mount Sinai Health System (116,952 person-years) and calculate PhenoAge for years with available laboratory results (2011-2022). PhenoAge is calculated as a weighted linear combination of lab results and PhenoAgeAccel is the differential between PhenoAge and chronological age. A decile increase in the mixture of SVI dimensions was associated with an increase of 0.23 years (95% CI: 0.21, 0.25) in PhenoAgeAccel. The socioeconomic status dimension was the main driver of the association, accounting for 61% of the weight. Interaction models revealed a more substantial detrimental association for women and racial and ethnic minorities with differences in leading SVI themes. These findings suggest that neighborhood-level social vulnerability increases the biological age of its residents, increasing morbidity and mortality risks. Socioeconomic status has the larger detrimental role amongst the different facets of social environment.

Book Review

This review critiques The Psychology of Multilingualism: Concepts, Theories and Application by Lajos Göncz whose research contributed extensively to the field of psychology of bilingualism and minority studies. In light of the quintessential body of research investigating bilingualism and multilingualism as intriguing complex phenomena, this book provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to the research of bi- and multilingualism. Göncz approaches bi-/multilingualism as a cognitively challenging experience from a psychological, individual, and societal perspective. Basic concepts, theories, and definitions related to the psychological regularities of multilingualism are discussed in the book. Göncz also explores bi-/multilingualism from the perspective of developmental and personality psychology, elucidating the effect of speaking multiple languages on emotions, behavior, and cognitive development. Additionally, issues pertaining to the social psychology of multilingualism, including biculturalism, multiculturalism, and cultural diversity, are scrutinized, offering insights into the importance of preserving minority languages and cultures. The book also touches upon the educational aspects of the psychology of multilingualism, revisiting models of bi-/multilingual education that might be implemented to stimulate language development in the dominant as well as in the minority language.

Native speakerism crossing borders: comparing stakeholders’ attitudes towards English and Basque native and non-native teachers

Perceptions towards English native and non-native speaking teachers have drawn the attention of researchers in language acquisition. However, no study has examined its implications in the teaching of minority languages. This study aims to analyze 563 students’, parents’, and teachers’ attitudes and preferences towards English and Basque native and non-native teachers. Using questionnaires and group discussions, education stakeholders were questioned about their teacher preferences and their beliefs concerning assessment and support, attitudes, motivation, culture, and perceived linguistic abilities. Results revealed that education stakeholders appeared to assign concrete characteristics to native and non-native speaking teachers, regardless of the language under scrutiny.

The Minority Languages of Tripura with Special Reference to Kokborok Language: A Study on the Language Demography of Tripura, India

Linguistically, Tripura is a case of one dominant language and several minority languages. This study aims to identify the minority languages endemic to Tripura, with the objective of preserving and protecting the identified languages. The present study is based on the secondary data collected from the Census of India, 2011 and Ethnologue, 2024. The descriptive research method has been used to analyse the data. The study reveals that eight minority languages are enlisted by the Directorate of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages in Tripura. The eight languages are Kokborok, Manipuri, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Kuki-Mizo, Garo, Halam, Chakma and Mogh. Out of the eight minority languages enlisted by the said directorate of Tripura, Kokborok is the only language endemic to Tripura, and other minority languages have their language core areas outside the state. The core area of Kokborok is situated in Tripura, and the periphery areas are spread in the adjacent Indian states of Mizoram and Assam and Chittagong hill tracts of Bangladesh. However, the Kokborok language is a vulnerable minority language in its core area. The language speakers account for only 25.9 per cent of the total speakers in Tripura. Even after gaining official status on January 19, 1979, the Kokborok language is not widely used in educational institutions, official circulars, press, television, courts, and financial or social institutions, weakening language vitality. Therefore, considering the endemic character of the Kokborok language, meaning that the Kokborok language holds unique traits and adaptations to environmental conditions in the region, its minority status and low language vitality, the Kokborok language needs to be preserved and protected.